A humidifier is an appliance that, like its name would seem to suggest, works to make the air within your home more humid. This can greatly increase the comfort levels within your home, especially during the winter months or if you live in a hot and dry climate. In fact, a humidifier can even help relieve dry skin and other minor health ailments that you may experience. However, due to the large amount of water that passes through them, humidifiers can be a breeding ground for bacteria and mildew if not properly cared for. Taking the correct steps to maintain your humidifier can help ensure that your home is as comfortable as possible.

Distilled Water

One of the easiest things that you can do to ensure that your humidifier stays in good condition for as long as possible is to use distilled water instead of common tap water. While this won't change the likelihood of mold and bacteria growing in the unit, it will ensure that minerals will not clog up the appliance. If you have hard water, your tap water has a high concentration of calcium and other minerals within it, which can turn into a chalky white buildup that can then be sprayed as a dust by your humidifier. This can gum up the internal workings of your appliance, and severely aggravate respiratory conditions.

Change the Water

In order to keep bacteria and mold at bay, the best thing that you can do is constantly change the water within your humidifier. While you should change the water in your humidifier every time you decide to use the appliance, it's also a good idea to empty the water out of the tank after a day or two of non-use as well. This is because any stagnant water provides the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and mold spores to take hold.

Proper Cleaning Techniques

You should take care to clean out the tank of your humidifier every week or so, or even more depending on how much you use the appliance. When cleaning out the water tank, you should never use commercial chemical cleaners or substances like bleach, as trace amounts of these can stay in the tank and be sprayed around your home. This can be a health concern, and can cause the aggravation of respiratory conditions. Instead, wipe down the tank with a mixture of half warm water and half vinegar: this is acidic enough to kill most bacteria and cut through most grime, but will also be diluted enough to not cause irritation if it ends up in the air. For more information, talk to a company like Complete service US.